The Local Government Councils Scorecard FY 2018

amuria DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

L-R: Ms. Rose Gamwera, Secretary General ULGA; Mr. Ben Kumumanya, PS. MoLG and Dr. Arthur Bainomugisha, Executive Director ACODE in a group photo with award winners at the launch of the 8th Local Government Councils Scorecard Report FY 2018/19 at Hotel Africana in Kampala on 10th March 2020

1.0 Introduction Council. The national housing and population census of 2014 estimated This brief is developed from the that the district has a population of main Scorecard Report titled 183,343 (89,434 male and 93914 “The Local Government Councils female). Amuria District is bordered by Scorecard FY 2018/19. The Next the districts of Kapelebyong, Katakwi, Big Steps: Consolidating Gains of Soroti, and Alebtong in the north, east, Decentralisation and Repositioning south and west respectively. the Local Government Sector in Uganda.” The brief report highlights 1.2 The Local Government the performance of elected leaders Councils Scorecard Initiative and Council of Amuria District Local (LGCSCI) Government. The main building blocks in LGCSCI are 1.1 About the District the principles and core responsibilities of Local Governments as set out in Located in the Eastern part of Uganda, Chapter 11 of the Constitution of Amuria District is one of the districts the Republic of Uganda, the Local that constitute the Teso Sub Region. Governments Act (CAP 243) under The district comprises sub counties Section 10 (c), (d) and (e). The of Abarilela, Abia, Akeriau, Asamuk scorecard comprises of five parameters Kuju, Morungatuny, Ogolai, Ogongora, based on the core responsibilities Olwa, Orungo Willa and Amuria Town

Eugene Gerald Ssemakula • 1Mike Epiangu • Teddy Atingo amuria DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19 of the local government Councils, 2.1 District Council District Chairpersons, Speakers The performance of Amuria District and Individual Councillors. These Council during FY 2018/19 was 71 are classified into five categories: points, an improvement from 64 points Financial management and in FY 2016/17. This performance oversight; Political functions and was particularly impressive under representation; Legislation and the parameters of monitoring service related functions; Development delivery (23 out of 30 points) and planning planning and constituency servicing and budgeting (18 out of 25 points). The and Monitoring service delivery. The performance was comparatively above parameters are broken down into the national and regional average of quantitative and qualitative indicators. 62 and 59 points respectively ranking Separate scorecards are produced the district 8th out of 35 districts. It for the District Chairperson, Speaker, is also worth noting that the council individual Councillors, and Council as performance was above average across a whole. all parameters as indicated in Figure 1. The major rationale of the LGCSCI Figure 1: Performance of Amuria is to induce elected political leaders District Council on Key Parameters and representative organs to Relative to National and Regional deliver on their electoral promises, Average Performances improve public service delivery, ensure accountability and promote good governance through periodic assessments. 1.3 Methodology The 2018/19 LGCSCI assessment used face-to-face structured interviews, civic engagement meetings, documents’ review, key informant interviews, field visits and photography to collect the relevant Source: Local Government Councils data. The assessment was conducted Scorecard Assessment FY 2018/19 between November and December 2019. A total of 23 elected leaders (21 District Councillors, Chairperson and 2.2 District Chairperson Speaker) and Council were assessed. During the year under review, the District Chairperson for Amuria District was Hon. Robert Okitoi Erisa. He 2.0 Results of the Assessment subscribes to the UPC party and was This section highlights the serving his first term in office. In terms performance of Council, Chairperson, of performance, Chairman Okitoi Speaker of Council and Councillors scored 63 points, registering a decline of Amuria District Local Government from 88 out of 100 points garnered in during the FY 2018/19. the previous assessment. His best

2 amuria DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19 performed parameter was contact participation at LLGs, where he scored with the electorate where he scored no point, having failed to provide maximum points. The Chairman’s score evidence of attending meetings at sub under the parameter of monitoring county level. Table 3 provides details of service delivery (23 out of 30 points), the Speaker’s performance. was below the national and regional Figure 3: Speaker of Council’s average score as shown in Figure Performance on Key Parameters 2. A summary of the Chairperson’s Relative to National and Regional performance is shown in Table 2. Average Performances Figure 2: Performance of Amuria District Chairperson on Key Parameters Relative to National and Regional Average Performances

Source: Local Government Councils Scorecard Assessment FY 2018/19 Source: Local Government Councils Scorecard Assessment FY 2018/19 2.4 District Councillors During the year under review, 21 2.3 District Speaker of Council councillors were assessed (5 were assessed using secondary data). The Hon. Charles Otim representing Overall, the average performance of the people of Morungatuny & Olwa councillors during FY 2018/19 was was being assessed for the first time 47 points indicating a sharp decrease as a speaker having replaced Hon. in performance from 60 points in FY Akol Ketty who relocated to the newly 2016/17. The best performed parameter created, Kapelebyong District. Hon. was contact with electorate (12 out of Otim subscribes to the ruling NRM 20 points) while the worst performed party. His performance stood at 50 parameters were participation in Lower points, a performance that was below Local Governments (4 out of 10 points) the national and regional average of 62 and monitoring service delivery (20 out and 64 point as indicated in Figure 3. of 45). This performance was however, His best performance was registered above the national and regional average under the parameter on his contact for councillors. At individual level, Hon. with the electorate with evidence Moses Emabu from Ogalai was among showing that he was able to convene the top performers in the country having community meetings on issues of scored 90 out of 100 possible points. service delivery with his electorate. He was followed by Hon. David Ewayu However, his worst performance was in from Kuju and Abia with 84 points

3 amuria DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19 and Hon. Silver Omer Ecomu from conducted monitoring of service Asamuk with 81 points. On the other delivery towards the end of the hand, Hon. Beatrice Ayano Jennipher Financial Year, hence it made it from Morungatuny, Ogolai and Olwa difficult for follow up of actions emerged as the best female councillor to be taken before end of the FY; in Amuria District Council scoring 64 many councillors also produced out of 100 points. The comparative monitoring reports very close to the performance at national and regional assessment. levels is provided in Figure 4. Details • Lack of participation in Lower of councillors’ performance are shown Local Government. Several in Table 4. councillors did not meet the Figure 4: Performance of threshold (4 meetings) for Amuria District Councillors attendance of council meetings on Key Parameters Relative to at the sub county level. This National and Regional Average was attributed to lack of proper Performances coordination in scheduling meetings by the officials at the LLGs and district.

4.0 Recommendations • Councillors need to improve on documentation after monitoring as well as conducting follow up visits Source: Local Government Councils to ensure improved services to Scorecard Assessment FY 2018/19 their electorate. • Councillors need to put more efforts, commitment and devise creative 3.0 Key Factors Affecting ways of organizing meetings with Performance electorate especially for feedback and demanding for better services • Laxity of political leaders in their constituencies. in undertaking their roles: It was observed that • The Office of the Speaker and since the scorecard assessment LLG heads need to harmonize was not carried out during FY schedules for meetings to avoid 2017/18 a number of councillors collisions at the respective levels. relaxed and did not do their work. • The councillors need to keep close This greatly affected their scores contact with their electorate to since many did not keep record of ensure generation of community the work they were undertaking. needs and issues for quality • Delay in conducting monitoring representation. and poor documentation: It was noted that many councillors

amuria DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

Sub Total Sub Sub Total Sub

23 29 45

30 23 17

Environment ENR 3 3

4 2 2 FAL FAL 3 2

4 0 1 Water Sources Water

Agriculture 3 4

7 4 4 2 Roads

7 5

Roads 7 Delivery Schools

4 4 2

2 5

Water 7

4 3 2 Health 3 5

Health 7 Monitoring Service Agriculture

5 5 3 2 5

7 Education

Sub Total Sub 5 9 Monitoring Service Delivery 5 5 3

Sub Total Sub 10 NGOs 20 18 14

1 5

5 Local Revenue Local Communal Projects Communal

1 1 2

11 9 5 Projects Projects Initiated Projects District Budget District Initiation of 3 3

4 4 4

Budgeting Total Sub

8 Planning and Mission and Vision Plans, 10

5 5 5 Issues by electorate by Issues

Sub Total Sub 5 4 5

with Meetings Electorate Meetings

5 4 Contact 25 14 15

Electorate

5 Principles of Accountability of Principles Sub Total Sub 8 9

3 0 0

15 Involvement of CSO of Involvement Bills by Executive by Bills

0 2 5 2 2 2

Motions Executive Motions

Accountability 6 5

Role 8

Administrative Administrative Council

2 2 Legislative

8 1 5 2

Political Accountability Political Accountability Total Sub

17 16 8 7 5

Fiscal Accountability Fiscal Central gov’t Central

4 3

4 4 3 4

Boards

Sub Total Sub 2 2 Commissions/

25 16 16

2 Capacity Building Capacity servants

4 3

3 2 2 Oversight civil civil Oversight Petitions

2 2 1

State of affairs of State Legislative Resources Legislative 2 2

4 2 3

Monitoring admin Monitoring Public Hearings Public Leadership Political 4 4

2 1 1 DEC

Initiatives 1 2

Conflict Resolution Resolution Conflict

1 1 1 2018/19

63 72 Ordinances 100

3 3 2 Legislation 2016/17

council 88 62 Perfor mance

Motions passed by the the by passed Motions 100

Terms 3 3 2 1

Committees of Council of Committees

3 0 2 Party Political Membership to ULGA to Membership

UPC

2 0 1

Rules of Procedure of Rules

2 2 2 District 2018/19

Amuria

100 71 62 Gender

M 2016/17 Identifiers

100 64 51

Name District Performance Robert Okitoi Erisat Score Average Max Score Amuria Average Table 1: Performance of Amuria District Council FY 2018/19 of Amuria Performance 1: Table Table 2: Performance of Amuria District Chairperson FY 2018/19 District Chairperson of Amuria Performance 2: Table

amuria DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

Sub Total Sub Sub Total Sub

45 45 17 24

42 38 38 35 30 29 16 27 Environment

5 4 3 ENR

5 FAL 5 5 1 5 5 4 0 1

5 2 1

FAL 5 Roads

7 3 4 2 2 2 1 2 0 0 1

Roads Water 7

7 1 4

7 7 7 7 3 5 1 5

Delivery Agriculture 7 1 3 Water 7

7 7 7 1 7 5 4 5 Education

7 3 4 Agriculture

Monitoring Service 7

Health 7 3 7 7 3 5 1 5

7 3 5

Education 7 LLG

0 4 7 7 7 7 7 5 5 5

Participation in in Participation 10 Monitoring Service Delivery Health 7

LLG

7 7 7 7 3 5 5 5

Sub Total Sub meetings

20 16 16

10 Sub county county Sub Centre

LLG

9 5 8 8 10 10 8 10 6 10 0

Coordinating Coordinating Sub Total Sub

20 Electorate 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 17

Contact

Electorate Office Meetings Meetings 11 11 9

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9

Sub Total Sub Contact Electorate Meeting 25 17 17

Electorate 11

11 11 11 11 11 11 11 8 Special Skills Special

5 0 0 Total Sub Record of Motions of Record 25

20 16 13 13 13 15 20 20 3 3 2

Special Skills Special Records Book Records 4

2 2 2

0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Committee

3 1 2

Motion 5 Business Business

5 5 5 2 5 0 5 5

Procedure Committee 8

9 9 7

Legislation

Rules Of Of Rules 7 2 0 8 0 7 7 7

Presiding over Council Presiding over Plenary 8 Chairing Council Chairing

3 2 3 8 8 8 3 8 8 8 8

% Change % % Change %

10 0 -2 12 -15 21 22 -10

2018/2019 2018/19 100 50 62 90 84 81 76 73 70 66 64

100

2016/17 2016/17 Performance 100 57 Performance 82 84 83 68 86 58 54 71

100 Terms Served Terms

Terms Served Served Terms 1 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1

Gender Gender

M M M M M M M M M

District

Amuria Constituency Constituency

Ogolai & Abia Kuju Asamuk Akeriau Amuria T/C Orungo Apeduru Abarilela Political Morungatuny & Olwa

Identifiers

UPC IND UPC NRM NRM FDC UPC UPC Identifiers Political Party Political

NRM

Name Name Maximum Scores Maximum Charles Otim Average Maximum Scores Maximum Moses Emabu Ewayu David Omer Ecomu Silver Erusu Kokas Okwi Sebbi Simon Etwonu Esogu Ebritish Paul Aule Emmanuel Table 3: Speaker of Council’s Performance, Amuria District FY 2018/19 Amuria Performance, Speaker of Council’s 3: Table FY 2018/19 District Councillors of Amuria Performance 4: Table

amuria DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19 Sub Total Sub 45

21 26 31 22 15 10 1 0 2 0 0 6 1 20 ENR 5

2 0 2 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 FAL 5

5 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Roads 7

1 5 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 Water 7

0 5 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 3 Agriculture 7

3 5 7 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Education 7

5 5 7 5 5 5 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 Monitoring Service Delivery Health 7

5 5 3 5 5 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 meetings

10 Sub county county Sub

LLG 10 0 2 4 8 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 0 4 Sub Total Sub 20

20 20 20 9 9 10 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 12 Office 9

9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 6 Contact Electorate Meeting

Electorate 11

11 11 11 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 Sub Total Sub 25

13 21 1 11 13 13 13 13 8 8 8 0 0 12 Special Skills Special 4

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Motion 5

5 5 0 0 5 5 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 3 Committee 8

Legislation

0 8 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Plenary 8

8 8 1 3 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 0 0 6 % Change %

56 -16 -30 -25 55 -30 -52 -51 -82 -97 -21 2018/2019

100

64 67 54 46 45 33 14 13 30 8 8 6 1 47 2016/17

Performance 100

41 80 77 61 29 47 29 61 34 34 60 Terms Served Terms

1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Gender

F F F F M F M M F M F F F Constituency

Morungatuny, Morungatuny, Ogolai & Olwa Asamuk Apeduru Amuria T/C Akeriau, Ogongora, Orungo PWD PWD Willa Workers Willa Kuju/ / Abia Older Persons Older Persons Youth Abarilela Political

Identifiers NRM FDC NRM NRM NRM NRM IND UPC NRM NRM NRM NRM Name Maximum Scores Maximum Beatrice Ayano Jennipher Irene Ilalu Martha Apio Amedo Judith Charles Engoru Echemu Mary Arotin Eregu Opolot* Peter Joseph Collins Obwalinga* Agnes Abeda Eugene Amodoi Okoubong* Elizabeth Anyait Oriokot* Margaret Etilu Margaret Idiamat* Average *Councillors Assessed Using Secondary Data

7 amuria DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

REFERENCES Bainomugisha, A., Mbabazi, J., Muhwezi, W., W., Bogere, G., Atukunda, P., Ssemakula, E.G., Otile, O., M., Kasalirwe, F., Mukwaya, N., R., Akena, W., Ayesigwa, R., The Local Government Councils Scorecard FY 2018/19: The Next Big Steps; Consolidating Gains of Decentralisation and Repositioning the Local Government Sector in Uganda. ACODE Policy Research Paper Series No. 96, 2020. Amuria DLG (2018), Council Minutes FY 2018/19 (2019), Council Minutes FY 2018/19 Republic of Uganda (1995), Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (1997), Local Governments Act (CAP 243) as amended UBOS (2019). District Projected Population

About ACODE: The Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) is an independent public policy research and advocacy Think Tank based in Uganda, working in the East and Southern Africa sub-regions on a wide range of public policy issues. Our core business is policy research and analysis, outreach and capacity building. Since it’s founding 19 years ago, ACODE has emerged as one of the leading regional public policy think tanks in Sub-Saharan Africa. For the last 8 consecutive years, ACODE has been recognized among the Top-100 Think Tanks worldwide by the University of Pennsylvania’s annual Global-Go-To Think Tank Index Reports. About LGCSCI: The Local Government Councils Scorecard Initiative (LGCSCI) is a policy research and capacity building initiative implemented by ACODE and ULGA. The initiative is a strategic social accountability initiative that enables citizens to demand excellence of their local governments and enables local governments to respond effectively and efficiently to those demands with the aim of improving service delivery.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Eugene Gerald Ssemakula: Eugene is a researcher who for the past 15 years has undertaken various social research assignments with interests in Monitoring and Evaluation, Local Governance, financing and accountability. He is currently a Research Fellow-Monitoring and Evaluation with the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment, where for the past 9 years has conducted annual capacity building and assessment of political leaders under the Local Government Councils Scorecard initiative. His publications can be accessed at www. acode-u.org. Mike Epiangu is the Lead Researcher for Amuria District, and has been carrying out the scorecard since FY 2009/2010. He is currently the Programme Director for Amuria Child and Family Integrated Development Organisation (ACFID). Teddy Atingo is a district researcher in Amuria District under the Local Government Council Scorecard Initiative (LGCSCI).

ADVOCATES COALITION FOR DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT Plot 96, Kanjokya Street, Kamwokya. P. O. Box 29836, Kampala. Tel: +256 312 812150 Email: [email protected]; [email protected]. Website: www.acode-u.org

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